Chamber lobbies for jet

Sunday

Lobbying efforts to land the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort are entering the final two weeks.

The public comment period ends Nov. 22. A final decision by the Department of the Navy on a basing plan for the F-35B is expected in December.

Joint Strike Fighter advocates recently announced a Veterans Day effort to register comments via the internet at two Beaufort restaurants.

Internet access will be provided at The Office, 2121 Boundary St. Beaufort, and at the Old Coffee Haus, 614 Paris Ave., Port Royal.

The Beaufort County Military Enhancement Committee of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce organized the promotion and both restaurants will offer discounts to patrons who participate in the online rally.

"Posting comments online is the easiest and most efficient way for people to share their thoughts and support for this critical component of Beaufort County's economy and culture," said Lt. Gen. Garry Parks, chairman of the Military Enhancement Committee.

"People certainly can comment online from their homes or businesses, or write a letter for the U.S. Mail, but there's also a sense of community in joining others who feel these new jets are such an important part of our future," Parks said via a press release. "That's what this one-day rally is about."

The Navy is scheduled to make a final decision in December about where to base 11 active-duty squadrons and two training squadrons of the new F-35B joint strike fighter.

A final Environmental Impact Statement released Oct. 20 recommends basing three active-duty squadrons and two training squadrons at MCAS Beaufort; eight active-duty squadrons would be based at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina, according to the recommendation known as "Alternative 1."

The plan, if approved, would replace the F-18 Hornets based at MCAS Beaufort with 88 F-35Bs, each costing more than $100 million.

Basing five squadrons of F-35B Joint Strike Fighters at MCAS Beaufort will contribute more than $300 million in new construction, more than 1,200 construction jobs and potentially bring 200 high-paying civilian jobs to the area to help with the training centers, according to Carlotta Ungaro, president of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to the aircraft and personnel, chamber and county officials anticipate the development of ancillary aeronautics industries locally in support of the new jets.

The F-35B, one of three Joint Strike Fighter designs, can be launched from an abbreviated flight deck and is specifically for Marine Corps use.

The STOVL design (an acronym for "short takeoff/vertical landing") provides the F-35B with a powerful vertical thrust, which some detractors fear might increase jet noise in the Air Station flight path.

However, military officials have said 80 percent of landings at MCAS Beaufort would be the conventional "rolling" variety and the STOVAL pad location has been moved to the interior of the base.

The F-35A variation is the most conventional design, with "rolling" take-offs and landings. It is destined for use by the U.S. Air Force and for sale to allied nations. The F-35C variation is for Navy use and equipped with a tail hook for aircraft carrier landings.

To view and comment on the final Environmental Impact Statement, visit the project public website at www.usmcJSFeast.com

Background information about the Joint Strike Fighters and their impact on Beaufort can be found at www.f35beaufort.com or on Facebook at the Operation F35Beaufort page.

F-35 might take more time, money

Development and testing of the F-35 fighter jet program will likely take longer and need more money than expected, Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens said last week in a story reported by Bloomberg News.

The Pentagon and the company are "probably going to examine the need for more time, more people and more dollars," Stevens said in an interview in Washington.

It was confirmation of reports by Bloomberg and others that Pentagon officials were once again faced with rising costs and delays on the F-35 program, which is already five years behind schedule and far over budget. At an estimated $382 billion, the F-35 is the most expensive U.S. weapons program.

The F-35B model being designed for the Marine Corps, which is particularly complex because of its short-takeoff and vertical landing capability, is behind schedule, Stevens said.

Testing of the F-35A, a conventional takeoff and landing version designed for the Air Force, continues to progress ahead of schedule, while the Marines F-35B version continues to lag behind the test plan.

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